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January 2012 FTF Geocoin Cointest


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FTF Geocoin Cointest Description

 

The first "geocache" was placed by Dave Ulmer on May 3rd, 2000 after selective availability was disabled by the US government just one day before. Twenty four satellites circling the earth had just become available for civilian use.

 

This first geocache place in the Beavercreek, Oregon area consisted of a black bucket containing a log book and pencil along with various other items that included videos, books, software and even a slingshot! The coordinates for this very first hide was posted to the online community at sci.geo.satellite.nav.

 

Within three days several interested "finders" had already found Dave's first hide. The first person to find the stash was Mike Teague who took the idea and started to gather new geocache coordinates that were posted online and posted them to his personal website. From there a mailing list was developed to discuss the new activity. Finally the name "Geocaching" was selected and the rest is history!

 

(Thanks goes to www.geocaching.com for the historical content used in this description)

Like Mike Teague's first find, many of us have experienced the rush of being the First to Find. Please share the GC code and a short description of one of your most memorable First to Finds.

 

Coin that will be up for grabs during this cointest:

 

FTFV3AG1__27675_zoom.jpg

 

FTFV3AG2__46551_zoom.jpg

 

 

  • Edition: Antique Gold
  • Measures 1.75" in diameter
  • Soft enamel colors
  • Intricate detailing on front and back
  • Perimeter text
  • Trackable on Geocaching.com
  • A unique icon shows on your profile when you log a discovery.

 

Here are the rules, regulations and details for this cointest:

 

What can you win?

A fully trackable unactivated FTF Geocoin. One lucky winner will have this coin mailed to their address of choice free of charge.

 

Who can enter?

Anyone and everyone!

 

How can I enter?

Send your answers to the cointest question below via the cointest contact form. Make sure to mention "January 2012 Cachebox Cointest" in your answer. Please include your Geocaching handle so we can use it when we announce the winner on this forum topic. Do not post your answers here! All answers must be sent via the email form.

 

Can we make posts via this topic?

Of course! We encourage everyone to participate with their own personal geocaching story.

 

How long will the cointest run?

You can submit answers until Tuesday January 31st 2011, 11:59pm MST.

 

How will the winner be chosen?

Winner will be determined by a random drawing. The winner will be announced as soon as contact has been established. If no contact has been established after 3 days, another winner will be chosen at random. This will continue until a winner has successfully been contacted.

 

How many times can I enter?

One entry per person please. This gives everyone with the correct answer a fair chance to win.

 

******************************

 

Cointest Question:

What were the GPS coordinates for the first geocache placed by Dave Ulmer on May 3rd 2000?

 

Good luck to all our participants. Remember, to enter you must send in your answer using the cointest contact form with "January 2012 Cachebox Cointest" mentioned in your answer.

 

 

Logan Wealing

Cachebox Geocaching Store

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email sent! :D

 

I do not have many FTF's... but there are some I still remember... one of them was the one in the ancient Stadium and ancient theatre of rhodes... GC1Q2R3!

this was my first real FTF... because the other one I had was in an earthcache... so no logbook to write! I felt so nice finding this cache that is in a great archeological area.. the acropolis or the Ancient City of Rhodes (with a stadium, a small theatre - odeum, ruins of the Temle of Apollo, cave sactuaries, ruins of the temple of Zeus Polieus and Athena Poliades ( Polieus and Poliades means "of the city")) etc..

 

the cache was very close to my house and in an area I aften go for walks with my father! :) I was even a guard there... a long time ago! :D

 

It was so nice beeing the first to write in the logbook! WOW! :D I liked the box too... it was an old plastic container that most probably soldiers in US Army have with them... for biological attack... etc.. it had medicines or something like that, inside! Nice military stuff! :D

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Entry submitted.

 

I have had a few FTFs, but I'll have to try to pick a good story to share. Off the top of my head, I will share that 15 June is my older son's b-day (he goes by Jr Mikal #1). We have gotten a FTF on each of his last 2 birthdays. It has become a tradition, and he is excited to continue it. (Way to put the pressure on Dad!)

 

Thanx for hte cointest!

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WE only have 4 FTFs...

While at work about a year or so ago I checked my mail just before quitting time and there was a new cache only a mile away. I counted the minutes till I could get on the hunt. The cache had a difficulty rating of 3.5 and since it was in a park I figured nano in a pine tree. When I got to GZ much to my surprise there were no pine trees just a big oak that had been struck by lighting. There in the first hole I looked in was the container.

 

I quickly signed the blank log and while walking out passed the guys who usually get all the FTFs in our area.

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My daughter and I were going for a FTF and after we had found it, and a few other caches along the way, we went home to log it. When I went to log it somebody had already claimed FTF honors. I emailed him and let him know what time I had signed the log. He emailed us back and thought he was first. He asked us to describe what was in the cache (he had traded some swag)and he quickly realized that we had found it first. He didn't see that on this log there was a section at the top for a FTF to sign. There have been several other times where I was pulling up to GZ and the FTF was just leaving.

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That is really cool dfx.

 

My first FTF was with more than a little hesitation. The cache popped up on my phone on a beautiful fall day right after the kids had headed to school. So I was on my own. The name of the cache was The Bat Caves. I am utterly totally terrified of bats. But I figured in that sun that they would all be fast asleep in their cave. At least I hoped. Cache GZ341ZZ turned out not to be what I expected in more than one way. The FTF also coincided with my 100th find.

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I have to say that I only have 2 FTF's and there is no real story to them other than the fact that as soon as my wife and I saw them pop up we headed out straight away. There are quite a few FTF hounds here and beating the to GZ is next to impossible! But as our 2 FTF's were placed no more than 800m from our house I had the impression that if we couldn't get FTF's on these it was certainly a sign :P Thankfully we were first on both and here we are 6 months later still logging away. Needless to say we haven't had anymore FTF's since <_<

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GC1V4JN is my 3rd (and last) FTF. This is memorable on many levels. First it was a winter hike (I'm not into cold weather), and second, it was climbing a local "mountain" (hey, they're still an accomplishment in the East if you're not used to climbing them!). This posted 4 days prior, so I had to make the effort, and got a muggle friend to go with me. We had a great time just hiking around up there - the temps were in the 20's, and you could hear everything reflected off the snow-pack. Just as we were getting within range of GZ, we heard voices coming from another direction. My eyes zeroed in on the hide spot, and then we realized the voices probably belonged to cachers, too. We saw them stray off their path straight for my identified spot, so off I rushed. As we approached each other and the cache, I identified them as locals with a long history in this game, and cachers I hold in great esteem for their profligacy and deviousness. They were a bit closer and better acclimated to hiking in snow conditions, so they physically got there first. One made the find then sat down watching & smiling. Then I put my hands on it, and the last came running as I called out, my muggle friend bringing up the rear. It was a real treat to share FTF with Snurt & LPYankeefan. I had made a couple finds with this cache owner just a couple days before (another of the local idols), making this that much sweeter. Afterward, I gave assistance to make the cache page work as it was intended. What an interesting sequence of events for this one! :D :D

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kind of hard to pick a favorite FTF, there were a few, but here's one

 

Kings Keep

 

10 months after being published this cache was still unfound, so on a nice spring day we decided to make the 200 km drive on way plus the ferry crossing plus the canoe paddle to the cache location :D ....but if i had to do it all over again i will in a heartbeat

we had a great day discovering this little place

i'm very slow at typing so by the time i get to log my caches dfx already beats me to it and has all the details laid out, but i don't mind at all because he seems to not only type faster but also be better at telling a story, so in addition to the pictures i posted his log will have the full story of our day :D

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GC1EW30 Start Yer Yakin' | Backwater Banter

 

This was a co-FTF with my Brother in Law on a day that found me in a kayak for the first time and doing 5 paddle caches.

My BIL's log states it all on this odd journey that may have been a DNF for many others less persistant.

 

Wow, where to start.... Out chasing some FTFs and lonely caches on a run across the Valley today, most of it on the water. Labrat_wr and I teamed up to run for this FTF while he hit the water from Winneconne to Kimberly. This was undoubtedly the challenge of the day and a co-FTF well-earned. The terrain rating lived up to its billing for both of us, partly due to an extra hour on the water due to unforseen circumstances.

 

The first two legs of this adventure went well with great coordinates, good hides, mostly open water, except for a minor error leading to a brushy alteration of course, and the sighting of three horned owls at close range moving from tree to tree overhanging the water.

 

All was well as labrat took a side trip to an oasis and we made our ways separately toward ground zero for the final. After a slight delay due to someone's missed turn at the beginning of the final leg, we regrouped to zero in on our destination. I've said before that FTF chases are sometimes like being guinea pigs. Hmmmm... different world here compared to the rest of the trip. Lots of camo here. No cache, yet... or half an hour later. Then, amazingly, Pete, who has now wandered over 400 feet away from ground zero, spots something out of place. Yep, the traveling cache. I thought these were banned. Only know of one other in the Valley. How this happened is a total mystery for all who have been there. It has no conceivable explanation that any backwater banter can explain. Right in there with UFO stories.

 

A find nontheless, and another very lucky one for the FTF! We managed to secure the container in its original hide spot and notified the owner of just a minor change in the coordinates that won't affect a find. You defintely don't want to rest where the final was today, you won't find it there. Gladly handed over the FTF coin to Pete and took a FTF pin for the co. This was a lucky finish to quite a trek on the water today. TFTC again, seldom\seen!!

 

the cache container had been lashed to a submerged recliner that had been deposited in the backwater. Somehow in an area that really had no current and was choked with algae, the chair and cache has floated off nearly 0.1mile from its original position. only by persistance and being able to spot a bright orange something was this one able to be a FTF.

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Email sent with the answer! Thanks for a fun cointest.

Coincidentally, one of our favorite FTF stories happened just two days after we visited the Original Stash cache. We took a caching road trip up to the Lilypad for GeoWoodstock and, of course, we had to include a trip to Oregon for the Original Stash. We had been out caching all day in and around Portland and stopped on our way back to the RV to get some dinner. As we got back in the GeoJeep at Panda Express, we got a notification of a new cache. Checked it, and it was only 403 feet from where we were standing! Jumped in the GeoJeep, drove across the parking lot, and grabbed the FTF exactly five minutes after it published. Don't think we'll ever beat that record! GC2D367 The Liv'in La Vida Low-Carb Cache.

 

Edited 'cause I can't spell.

Edited by steben6
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My first FTF was probably the most exciting as it was the first time I responded to a notification a cache had been placed and that I knew it was brand new. It was late, raining, and my wife was out with friends. I grabbed the kids my flip flops and raced out.

 

It was a dark road and no one else was around. I was suprised that there was not several others given the close proximity to town.

 

After making the grab I backed up next to the building turned off our lights and we sat and watched. We were fast but the seekers started to show up and you could tell they were trying to get it found before the others that were also there. It was like watching ants find the spilt sugar on the ground that they know was there.

 

I felt bad for them after they realized that one had come before them.... but not that bad :)

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We have a winner! Congrats goes out to Armorfirelady with the correct answer of:

 

N 45° 17.460 W 122° 24.800

 

Thanks to everyone who participated. Stay on the lookout for next month's (Feb) cointest giveaway. If anyone has comments or suggestions for our monthly cointest giveaways, we would love to hear your feedback. Just send us an email via the cointest contact form listed in the original post.

 

Logan Wealing

Cachebox Geocaching Store

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